The present invention is generally directed to an attachment incorporating two synchronized mechanisms: one to securely clamp the device to the exterior of a camera lens and one to block unwanted light from traveling through the device to impact the lens.
Camera lenses are available with different diameters. When a matte box or other camera accessory is mounted to the front of a lens, it is necessary to use a lens-specific adapter clamp to make the mounting connection. Due to the large number of different lenses with differing diameters, photographers and videographers often have multiple matte boxes or multiple other accessories with fixed diameters to mate to each lens uniquely.
One existing solution to this problem is to maintain a collection of adapter rings or plates of different internal diameters that are adapted to fit to lenses of different outer diameters. An oversized clamp is used in combination with a selected adapter ring or plate. With these multiple connection elements, it is inconvenient and time-consuming to change from one lens to another. Moreover, the photographer or videographer must keep a collection of differently sized adapter rings and plates, and still may not have the appropriate sized adapter ring or plate for a desired lens. As a result, the accessory is not securely mounted to the lens and stray light may pass through the accessory at the connection location of the adapter ring or plate, impacting the photographic or video image, such as by glare or lens flare.
Therefore, improvements to means for mounting accessories onto a variety of lenses for still photography, video, broadcast, movie and security cameras continue to be sought. In particular, the industry seeks a universal adapter mechanism that would provide a quick and tool-less way to attach accessories to a variety of lenses that are not necessarily the same type or size.